It’s Spring an’ We’re Singin’ All Night!
Check out what my skimming & humming brings us this month … I swear, it’s in my Webster’s dictionary and I am not befuddled …
SKIMBLE-SKAMBLE (,skim-bǝl-'skam-bǝl; 1596) adj. – rambling and confused : senseless. [WW #328]
Many words have come and gone in our dictionaries over the centuries. Sometimes, a word will be granted a few years of grace before falling into the “archaic” category, just before being dumped altogether.
Somehow, skimble-skamble has clung to life in the Webster’s dictionary since 1596. Let’s celebrate its tenacity!
We can all be considered in a skimble-skamble state at times—after a weekend of partying, in our first waking moments after a deep sleep, or when in a hurry to meet an important deadline. Scattered thoughts can quickly slip into a dazed and confused disposition.
Skimble-skamble is a perfectly inane word for an often-silly state of mind. But to a more serious connotation, it’s associated with conditions like dementia or Alzheimer’s, or could even indicate a serious injury to the head.
For our purposes, we can apply skimble-skamble to a wide range of writings, from nonfiction/medical for instance, to a fictional character scene. The very nature of its spelling and pronunciation, however, can’t help but point us toward the silly side of things.
I found just the hit-bound example on this month’s WFIL/Philadelphia April 2, 1973 music chart, to demonstrate a musical version of skimble-skamble.
"Drinking Wine Spo-dee O'dee" is the “modern” version of a jump-blues tune written by Stick McGhee and J. Mayo Williams, and recorded (around the same time) in 1949 as "Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee."
So starting with the slightly skewed title, skimble-skamble began, and Jerry Lee Lewis’ late 20th century version hit the bottom of the Top 30. Can you just imagine your book’s character singing this song?
♪ … Wine Wine Wine Elderberry | Wine Wine Wine Oh Sherry | Wine Wine Wine Blackberry | Wine Wine Wine Half and Half | Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee Drinkin' Wine … ♪ Say what? The words speak for themselves and Jerry Lee Lewis was, as always, the energetic piano man ... 50 Years Ago this Month ♪ LOL
Word Challenge: SKIMBLE-SKAMBLE. May your words not be rambling and confused, as you fit skimble-skamble into your month of creative writings and casual conversations.
Write first for yourself … only then can you write for others. (L.Rochelle)
Cheers to learning a new word today!
@Irishwriter
WordWayzzzTM is currently created for your literary pleasure every first Wednesday of each month. Thank you for stopping by! Learning knows no prejudices or boundaries, and it isn’t harmful to your health! Expanding your mind is a no-cost, simple joy. Do you feel that way too? What’s your inspiration? Share your creative genius and WordWayzzz comments.
[LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two books in her Blast from Your Past series (of three) about pioneering R&R Radio DJs. True behind-the-mic tales make GREAT Holiday and anytime Gifts available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!]
LR Notes: 1) Dictionary definitions are quoted from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate
Dictionary – Eleventh Edition, unless otherwise noted. Yes, we sometimes
present them out of “official” context—but that’s half the fun! Think of it as
“creative context.” 2) a] Recent dictionary additions to definitions include a
date of first use, if known; b] words in small caps indicate “see also.” 3)
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